It does vary. There's a forced curve at Harvard, but some schools like MIT Sloan don't curve. At other schools like Emory Goizueta, students are graded not on letter grades but a tier (with categories like "distinction," "performance standard," and "no credit."
It's worth noting that, beyond the huge variety of grading systems among MBA programs, many top schools have grade non-disclosure policies. Under these policies, schools can't give out your grades to potential employers until after you've signed a contract. These policies stand in contrast to many other kinds of graduate-level courses.
What this means is that arguably, as long as you pass your courses at a top program, your grades aren't as relevant to your career progress as other things you may gain from school, like letters of recommendations from your professors or networking contacts.
This is something to keep in mind if you end up going to a school like Columbia, Chicago Booth or Stanford.
It does vary. There's a forced curve at Harvard, but some schools like MIT Sloan don't curve. At other schools like Emory Goizueta, students are graded not on letter grades but a tier (with categories like "distinction," "performance standard," and "no credit."
It's worth noting that, beyond the huge variety of grading systems among MBA programs, many top schools have grade non-disclosure policies. Under these policies, schools can't give out your grades to potential employers until after you've signed a contract. These policies stand in contrast to many other kinds of graduate-level courses.
What this means is that arguably, as long as you pass your courses at a top program, your grades aren't as relevant to your career progress as other things you may gain from school, like letters of recommendations from your professors or networking contacts.
This is something to keep in mind if you end up going to a school like Columbia, Chicago Booth or Stanford.
